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"WILL YOU VISIT ME IN THE INSANE ASYLUM"
Elise loves Christmas Eve more than Christmas itself sometimes. It's always so festive, music is playing, everyone is wrapping gifts, you get to make cookies and drink hot chocolate. It's cozy and safe and absolutely normal. Normal is good, Elise repeats to herself, normal is wonderful. Helga, does she want everything to be wonderful. This year is going to be the exact same as every year before, not a single thing will change.
Except for her. Everyone is trying so hard to make it the exact same for her. Her Dad and her brothers are so wonderful. But nothing feels the same to her. This house feels so quiet, despite the constant noise. Songs spill out of the CD player long into the night, and the smell of Mason's baking habit fills the house every couple of hours.
Despite everything good, the second Elise got home she could find it in her to feel anything. What girl cries because her Mum doesn't love her, she thinks. Everyone knows that she should be doing something to earn it back. But ever since she and her Mum talked, once she arrived home, she hasn't had the energy. Time is running out for the winter holidays and forgiveness is a slow journey. Elise might not have enough time.
But she's sitting there, covered in tape because she can't freaking wrap anything and pouting.
"Are you okay, 'Lise," Jackson asks, coming over to her with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Well," Elise ruffles his hair. "I am a little covered in tape, ya know. See my hands." She waves them at him.
"You suck at wrapping," Jackson states. "Worse than Daddy."
Let's just say Elise certainly inherited her father's wrapping skills. It looks like tornado came through.
"You're so kind," she says, shaking her head. "You know that."
Jackson Sinclair, an angel in disguise most likely, is too young to comprehend sarcasm. "Thanks," he squeals.
"Elise would you mind taking the cookies out of the oven," her Dad calls.
"Yeah," Elise smiles standing up. "No problem."
She walks to the kitchen and grabs two hot pads and takes the cookies out of the oven ( the toaster oven actually because their oven was broken and couldn't heat above two hundred degrees, it was annoying but the toaster oven worked just as well ) and puts them on the stove, grabbing a plate and some tongs. She takes the cookies, their chocolate chip which is always good and puts them on a plate, using the tongs.
"Who wants cookies," she grins as she walks back into the living room.
"I want them all," Jackson jumps up and down, waving his hand. "I want them all!"
"You'll get some," her father says, sternly but he laughs. "We have to share, remember."
"He only likes sharing when it benefits him," Elise smirks, putting the plate on the coffee table.
